Escape - Number of asylum claims increased significantly in 2023
With the higher number of refugees, the number of asylum complaints in Rhineland-Palatinate has risen significantly this year. By the end of 2023, more than 4,100 lawsuits and summary proceedings regarding asylum had been received, said Heribert Kröger, President of the Trier Administrative Court, which is centrally responsible for these cases in the state, to the German Press Agency. This is around 30 percent more than in the previous year. The figures have been rising again for a good year. "The increase has essentially been steady this year," he said.
However, the figure must be put into perspective: It is "still a very long way from the record number of cases received in 2016 and 2017" with just under 11,000 and more than 14,200 cases respectively. Since the peak of the wave of complaints in 2017, the numbers had been declining - until the trend reversed in the last quarter of 2022. Last year, a total of almost 3,200 cases were on the list.
Countries of origin and reasons
Most applicants came from Turkey, Pakistan and Syria, said Kröger. These were followed at some distance by Afghanistan and Egypt as other countries of origin. The people complained because their asylum application was rejected or because they wanted a more comprehensive protection status. The type of protection granted also determines whether the family can move from their home country or not.
The reasons put forward in the proceedings are varied and differ depending on the circumstances in the respective countries of origin. Persecution or discrimination due to political orientation, membership of certain ethnic groups, religious affiliation or sexual orientation are cited above all. The effects of war or natural disasters also play a role.
Further developments
What happens next also depends on how quickly the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bamf) is able to decide on the applications it receives, said Kröger. The number of proceedings pending at the Bamf in which no decision has yet been made has almost doubled compared to the previous year in the jurisdiction of the Trier court, for example.
"According to reports, the Bamf's staff are tied up to a considerable extent with recording applications and interviewing applicants, which means that asylum applications are often not decided on promptly," said Kröger. In a letter to Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) at the beginning of November, Bamf President Hans-Eckhard Sommer reported an enormous workload for his agency's staff, bottlenecks and other problems.
Strain on the administrative judges in Trier
At the end of the year, the number of complaints still amounted to 1450 (end of 2022: 748). The court currently has 22 judges. There is currently "no urgent need" for additional staff, said Kröger. "Depending on how the number of incoming cases develops", however, more staff will be required. He had no doubt that the staff would then be made available "to the required extent".
High processing speed
The court in Trier is the fastest in Germany when it comes to processing asylum cases. In 2022, main proceedings there took an average of 4.8 months. This year, it is 3.8 months, said Kröger. In 2022, proceedings took around 17 months on average nationwide.
One reason for the speedy completion of proceedings is the central jurisdiction of the Trier Administrative Court throughout the state, said Kröger. In addition, there is a "high level of commitment on the part of all court members" - both judges and non-judges.
Trier Administrative Court Ministry of Integration and Immigration Bamf on refugee protection
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- The increase in the number of asylum applications in Rhineland-Palatinate can be largely attributed to the higher number of refugees, especially those from Turkey, Syria, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
- The Trier Administrative Court, responsible for handling asylum cases in Rhineland-Palatinate, reported receiving over 4,100 lawsuits and summary proceedings related to asylum in 2023, a 30% increase from the previous year.
- Since 2016, the number of asylum complaints had been declining until it began to rise again in the last quarter of 2022.
- In 2023, most asylum applicants in Rhineland-Palatinate came from Turkey, Pakistan, and Syria, with Afghanistan and Egypt being other significant sources.
- According to Kröger, the reasons for the asylum applications include rejection of asylum applications or requests for a more comprehensive protection status based on persecution, discrimination, or conflict in the applicants' countries of origin.
- In a letter to Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, Bamf President Hans-Eckhard Sommer reported a significant workload, bottlenecks, and other problems for his agency's staff, causing delays in deciding on asylum applications.
- Despite the current workload, Kröger expressed confidence that the Trier Administrative Court would provide additional staff as necessary to address increasing caseloads, ensuring that decisions on asylum applications are made promptly.
Source: www.stern.de
